Last-room-available search apparatus and method

Abstract

A system and method for customer-oriented searching and purchasing of goods and services relies on a database having records corresponding to purveyors, products and services, and purchasers and maintained by a third party independent from all the foregoing. Searches may obtain information with or without cooperation of purveyors (vendors). Filtering before presentation to a user, according to specific needs or requirements eliminates inapplicable vendors, products, or services. Particularly, if quality rating, features, or actual availability is lacking, the system does not waste a user's time to evaluate. Deal-killer parameters and values punish vendors lacking disclosure. Rather than publish what the seller wants to advertise, the system retrieves for a user the information on items that meet criteria of, and according to their importance to, a user, especially deal-killer parameters.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 390,250, filed Oct. 6, 2010 for AUTOMATED ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AGENT.BACKGROUND[0002]1. The Field of the Invention[0003]This invention relates to software and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for searching, filtering, and presenting reservation information for lodging.[0004]2. The Background Art[0005]Online purchasing of goods and services is known in the art, resulting in users becoming exceedingly frustrated at the lists of information that turns out to be ultimately useless to the purchaser. Who has not gone online to find lodging and found at the end of a seemingly endless reading of advertising materials, viewing of rooms, selection of features, review of rates, and the like that the room or other accommodation desired is not available.[0006]Online purchasing is by nature very advertising oriented. It is not typically purchaser oriented. Selle...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0028]In one aspect, an automated electronic travel agent is disclosed. An automated electronic travel agent may be embodied as a handheld device with a GPS receiver and wireless internet access and programmed with travel agent functions. The automated travel agent displays, for example, nearby hotels and motels that list vacancies via a third-party se

Problems solved by technology

Online purchasing of goods and services is known in the art, resulting in users becoming exceedingly frustrated at the lists of information that turns out to be ultimately useless to the purchaser.

Sellers try to promote what benefits them, and this approach is directly contrary to the point of view of the buyer.

Moreover, brokerage types of web sites usually impose tremendous risk, requiring blind bidding, blind commitments, flexibil

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